JALT International 2017

1. MW SIG Annual General Meeting (AGM)

At this meeting, we elected the officers for 2017-2018.

2. MW SIG Forum Teaching Materials for Language & Culture Classes

The Material Writers SIG held a panel discussion of materials writers (Beukens, Goodmacher, Hamada, Kelly, Nagatomo, Nelson) who shared how they create teaching materials that develop communication skills and connect Japanese students with our multicultural world. Discussions included theories and practical tips for publishing such materials. The panel included authors who have self-published, have published with Japanese companies, and who have published internationally. Discussions included theories of materials development and practical tips for publishing textbooks.

PanSIG 2017

Materials Writing With a Pragmatic Focus (Joint Forum with the Pragmatics SIG)

Capper, Simon (Hiroshima College of Nursing)Ishii, Yosuke (Tokai University International Education Center)Kawashima, Chie (MacQuarie University & Tochigi Technical High School)

One area where pragmatics can—and should—play a significant role is in the production of materials for students and teachers. When students speak in a stilted and textbook way, it is noticeable, and it does not present the student in a positive light. This forum will share ways that materials can be made more appropriately pragmatic and it should help teachers get a solid sense of what they can do at the ground level.